Price Pressures in the Horticultural Supply Chain

The Irish horticulture sector represents a vital component of our agricultural economy , characterised by diverse production systems ranging from field vegetables and fruit to protected crops and mushrooms. As An Rialalaí Agraibhia, our mission is to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the food supply chain, supporting growth while safeguarding competition and the interests of all stakeholders.

This report examines the current state of Ireland’s horticulture sector, highlighting recent developments, market trends, and the complex challenges facing producers. Despite increasing input costs and climate-related pressures in recent years, the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation.

Our analysis provides an evidence-based assesment of the sector’s recent performance, identifying both structural pressures that our horticultural producers face and also strategic oppurtunities for enhancing competitiveness, improving supply chain transparency and fostering fairness between supply chain actors, to the benefit of producers, intermediate stage actors, retailers and consumers alike.

**The Regulator also notes the limitations of the presented evidence. In trying to tackle potential market failures and reduce information asymmetries along the supply chain, increased firm-level data will be necessary. Limitations are noted in the report where appropriate.

The Price and Market Data Analysis Team